What is Child Benefit and who qualifies?

In this section:

What is Child Benefit?
Child Benefit - do you qualify?
Child Benefit if you adopt or foster a child
Child Benefit if your child is in care
Child Benefit for children in hospital or residential care
New arrivals to the UK and Child Benefit
Child Benefit if you're living or working abroad
Child Benefit if your child lives with someone else

You are here:
Home >
Child Benefit >
What is Child Benefit and who qualifies? >
Child Benefit if you adopt or foster a child

Child Benefit if you adopt or foster a child

You may be able to claim Child Benefit if you live in the UK and you're adopting or fostering your child. If you get payments towards the cost of your child's accommodation or basic maintenance from your local authority, you won't normally be able to claim Child Benefit.

You're going to adopt a child

If you're in the process of adopting a child, it is important to apply for Child Benefit as soon as possible. You don't need to wait until the adoption process is complete, and in some circumstances you may be entitled to claim Child Benefit for a period before the adoption. The nationality of your child does not affect whether you're entitled to Child Benefit or not.

You're a foster parent

If you're fostering a child, you may be entitled to claim Child Benefit for your child, providing no one else gets Child Benefit for them.

Payments from your local authority

If, as an adoptive or foster parent, you get payments from your local authority to help out with the cost of your child's accommodation or maintenance, you won't be entitled to claim Child Benefit at the same time.

You're looking after a child for a friend or relative

If you have an informal arrangement to foster someone else's child, you can only claim Child Benefit if your local authority is not paying anything to help with the child's accommodation or maintenance. If you want to make a claim, you need to agree with the person who is currently getting Child Benefit (eg the parent) that you can make a claim instead. Bear in mind that two people cannot receive Child Benefit for the same child.

If you're responsible for a child who has lost one or both of their parents, you may also be entitled to Guardian's Allowance.

What happens if there's more than one claim for Child Benefit for the same child